By Chance
by xSPiNx
Summary: COMPLETE! Ash&Misty. Complete summary inside. While on blind date as a publicity stunt, pokemon master Ash Ketchum meets the girl of his dreams! There’s only one problem - the girl isn’t his date! And more, he doesn’t even know her name! He tries
1. Chapter One

**Summary: **While on blind date as a publicity stunt, pokemon master Ash Ketchum meets the girl of his dreams! There's only one problem - the girl isn't his date! And more, he doesn't even know who she is! He tries everything to find this "mystery girl," but everything seems to get in the way - from a clingy fan, to a jealous pokemon trainer Ash beat years ago, and everything in between. Will Ash ever find her? **Romance/Humor, Pokeshippy**

**A/N:** Hey everyone! I decided to write this fic 'cause... well, honestly, I got a little bored. Haha. Anyway, the idea just came to me, so I decided to write it down. This is an Ash and Misty fic... hope you like it! Please read and review, 'cause reviews kinda encourage me to finish writing. Oh yeah, I don't really like the title for this one right now, so ANY suggestions would be greatly appreciated. If anyone gets any ideas from reading the summary or throughout reading the parts, just run it by me... BTW, this is SOMEWHAT an AU alternate universe fic. So things haven't exactly happened like they did on TV.

**Edit:** Ack! I just noticed a couple of mistakes that I didn't catch before (mostly grammar stuff. Haha.) And also, I just realized that I didn't accept anonymous reviews. So, please review, tell me what you think! (Chapter two is on the way - hopefully I'll have it done by this weekend or maybe next week!)

**Disclaimer:** Pokemon doesn't belong to me. Please don't sue. Haha. Ok, onto the story...

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**Prologue**

The night sky twinkled. The stars seemed to glow against the black sky, casting a glow over the countryside. A lone pokemon trainer sat, thinking. This was his favorite spot to come and clear his head - no one knew where it was, and he liked knowing that for one tiny moment, he was alone. He ran his fingers through his spiky black hair - a habit he had picked up over the years - and tried to collect his thoughts. He was, you could say, a celebrity. A pokemon master. But the tasks of being a "master" had taken their toll. He just wanted to relax, like a normal teenager - no responsibilities, no burdens, no paparazzi... Well, it's not like that last one was a problem anymore. Fame was a strange thing. One day they like you, and the next... well, he didn't like to think about that. He stretched out, and his eyes caught a glimpse of the brightest star he had ever seen. It glimmered like a diamond in the jet black sky, giving off it's light to the countryside. He smiled. It was these kinds of nights that he liked the best.

Gazing over the ocean, a teenage girl sighed. She loved the ocean, and tonight, it looked especially beautiful. The moon and the stars made the rising tides shimmer, and the crashing of the waves on the rocks below her added to the calming effect. As she gazed up at the moonlit sky, she knew that for just one moment, this was one thing she had all to herself. It wasn't easy having three older sisters, let alone three FAMOUS older sisters. Everyone thought that they were everything she wasn't: pretty, talented, pretty, popular, pretty... and, well, pretty. She turned her head up to catch some of the warm, salty sea breeze. And as she curled her head upward, she caught a glimpse of a shiny ball of light, brighter than the rest. A warm feeling came over her, almost like she was feeling the heat radiating from the glistening star in the distance. Her sight returned to the ocean, but only for a second. Staring at the sky, her eyes followed the path of the star, and she sighed again. Although she had this awesome spectacle all to herself tonight, she had the weirdest feeling - that she would have to share it all, and soon... But that was OK. Although the prospect of sharing wasn't appealing to the teenager, the same feeling also told her that when the time came, she would want to.

The two teenagers sat, alone, yet together, mesmerized, staring at the same sky. Sitting, both thinking they were by themselves, neither knowing that as they gazed at the same bright star, that they wouldn't be alone for much longer...

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* * *

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**Blinded - Chapter One**

* * *

Old. It was all getting old. Ash Ketchum, only seventeen, youngest pokemon master in history... and he was bored. Every day, hopeful trainers would come in search for that one break in their training careers. And everyday, Ash would beat them. But what could he do? He loved pokemon, and the money was an added perk. But was it really worth it?

"Ashy baby, we're losing popularity!" A very hurried woman entered Ash's dressing room. Her stringy green hair was poofy and big, and Ash had always thought it looked like there was a bird's nest on her head. Today, she had a pair of black, oversized sunglasses resting on her head. Her hair looked like green cotton candy with eyes.

_Ashy baby?_ That was a new one. Ash was used to the affection from his agent, but sometimes, some of the names she came up with were downright strange. He always wondered why agents talked like they did. Now that he thought about it, Ashy baby wasn't THAT much off of the deep end...

"Whaddya mean, Kristina?" Ash asked her. He hadn't wanted an agent at first, but after the publicity of being the youngest master, he was appointed one by the Elite Four. "She'll work wonders," they had said. Ash though that they just wanted to get rid of her. But he had gotten used to her, although she did have her moments.

"The fans," Kristina stressed, as if it was completely obvious. "They're losing interest!" She banged her fist on the table to emphasize her point. "We all know that you can beat these trainers. Would it kill you to let them win _something_ once in a while?"

Ash started to protest, but Kristina held her finger up to stop him. "I know, Ashy darrrling," she continued, rolling her tongue. "But you can't let just Pikachu faint just once? He doesn't even REALLY have to faint," her voice got higher with excitement. "he can just... kind of lie down. Just to get the crowd into the battle." Kristina got a far away look in her eyes, as if she were envisioning a screaming crowd. "It would be maaaarvelous...."

Ash rolled his eyes. "I'll see what we can do," he said, sarcastically.

* * *

So Pikachu hadn't fainted. And neither did any of Ash's OTHER pokemon. Ash wandered aimlessly back into his dressing room, and waited for his usual post-battle talk with Kristina.

Only seconds after Ash had entered the room, he heard hurried footsteps coming in his. And was it his imagination, or did they sound... angry? Worried?

Well, he was about to find out.

He held his breath as Kristina entered the room silently. Her shoes clicked against the polished floor as she circled the room, deciding what to say.

"You didn't even get hit once," she muttered to herself quietly. She shook her head, as if to erase the images of the battle from her head. She turned to Ash, and took a deep breath. Ash noticed that she wasn't her usual happy self.

"Ashy, there's something we have to talk about." Kristina said suddenly. "What does being a pokemon master mean to you?"

"Well." Ash cleared his throat. "It's being the best." He stated the last part simply. This is what he based his training on. Being the very best. His very best.

Kristina looked at him sadly, and nodded. "Well, yes, that's part of it. But masters are also heroes. Idols. Not only do they have to be good trainers, but they also have to be good people. Universally liked." She sucked in another deep breath, and tried to prepare for the bomb she was about to drop. "Ash, I had an appointment with the head of the Pokemon League. The top of the top. We just got you're popularity ratings... and they aren't happy. They're the lowest ever in league history. Twenty-three percent."

Ash was confused. "So what?" he asked. "All that matters is that I win, right?"

"That's the thing," Kristina answered. "Right now, more people want you to _lose _then win. The League has decided that..." she took another deep breath. "Well, unless your popularity ratings increase, you're going to have to take a break for a while. Someone new will take your title."

The realization hit him like a punch in the stomach. It was like all the oxygen in the room had been sucked away. He struggled to breath, and when he had regained his composure, he looked up at Kristina and barely managed to utter a word.. "Wha... what?"

"I know," Kristina said. "What are we going to do?"

Ash sighed. Maybe he _did_ need an agent. Twenty-three percent? It couldn't be. He always thought he was liked. He remembered back when there were all those screaming girls dying to even get a whiff of his hair as he passed them in the stadium. And the aspiring little boys that had stars in their eyes as he walked by. Was all that gone?

"I need to take a walk." And without another word, he grabbed his jacket, and was out the door.

* * *

Ash's head swirled. A break from training? From being a master? Just because people didn't LIKE him as much as they used too?

He sucked in some of the brisk fall air and tried to clear his head. There was only one place he could go to think. It was a place that almost no one knew about, located on the League Complex: a secluded countryside overlooking the pokemon habitat. Without a second thought, he was on his way.

* * *

When he returned to his dressing room, Kristina was still there waiting patiently. He glanced at her quizzically, and then gave her an awkward nod as a greeting. She took this as an invitation to talk.

"Well, Ashy baby, I've been thinking while you were gone." Apparently, Kristina was still trying to make "Ashy baby" work. "It's not too late to make your popularity rating go up. I've taken the liberty of setting you up on a blind date." She beamed at her handiwork, and looked at Ash like she was waiting for applause.

Ash was intrigued. "What?"

"Well, what do all the other stars do when they're in a slump?" Kristina answered. "They go and get married or something, and then BAM, they're back on the front page of every magazine!"

Ash cocked his eyebrow in disbelief. "You want me to get MARRIED?!"

"Oh, come on Ash, be serious. It'll be fun! And plus, people LOVE hearing about famous people's personal lives." She beamed again. "And she might even be that special girl. What about it, huh?" She eyed him slyly. "I see how you check out some of the lady trainers." She chuckled at Ash's discomfort. "How about it?"

Ash blushed, because he knew what she said was true. He even vaguely remembered one girl that he almost let win so that he could just be with her longer. Pathetic, right? Some redhead... he couldn't even remember her name anymore, or even what she looked like. Feeling even more embarrassed, he quickly tried to change the subject. "I dunno... who am I going with? And when? Where?"

"Well," Kristina said, barely containing her excitement, "I set you up with the League President's daughter! Beautiful girl. And you won't believe where you're going - The Seaking Café!"

"Eh? Never heard of it." Ash replied lazily. "Besides, forget it. I think I can handle my own lovelife." Kristina chuckled at this, knowing that Ash could hardly handle walking and talking at the same time, let alone his own love life. But hey, that's what agents are for, right?

"It's this new place in Cerulean. It's supposed to be have the best food of all time." Kristina seemed to get bored of the subject, so she changed it. "Anyway, it's no use saying you won't go because I've already alerted the media." She flashed another toothy smile, evidently proud of herself. "Be ready by 8:00 tonight. The limo should be here to pick you up." And with a flip of her stringy green hair, she left.

* * *

Sixteen year old Misty Waterflower strolled along the beach. Life was good for the redheaded teen - she had nothing to worry about. Coming from a town known only for it's water pokemon, it's main attraction, not counting the fancy restaurant that just opened across the street, was it's gym. As she wandered aimlessly on the beach, she was thankful for her peaceful life. But little did she know that starting that night, with the mysterious meeting of a pokemon master, her life would be turned upside down - but in the best way possible.

**To be continued...**

**A/N:** So there you go... haha, that's the first part. It started kinda slow, kinda cheesy, not really romancy/funny, and I REALLY wanted to get to the part where Ash and Misty first meet, but I had to lay the background stuff down first. Sorry! The next part will be jam-packed with romance (hopefully! Haha). And longer, too. This one was kind of short, but this seemed like the right place to end it! Bear with me as I get all the background stuff settled. Anyway, I hope it caught your attention so far... tell me what you think! Next chapter - A&M meet, Ash goes on his blind date, and some more stuff... Until next time, later! Oh yeah, please R&R! Who knows, maybe you'll inspire me. I MIGHT get the next part out faster!


	2. Chapter Two

**A/N: **Thanks to all those who reviewed, believe it or not, it DOES help me out. Anywho, here's part two, tell me what you think! Sorry it took so long, I had a lot of trouble with this for some reason - call it writer's block, I guess. All disclaimers can be found on part 1.

* * *

Blinded - Chapter Two

* * *

"Oh boy, Pikachu! What have I gotten myself into?"Ash said, stroking Pikachu absentmindedly on his head. Pikachu "chaa-ed" with content. It was almost crunch time - 8:00. He looked out of the big glass doors of the building, and saw what seemed to be a never ending crowd of reporters - all armed with cameras, microphones and video crews. He took a deep breath and opened the door. With Pikachu in hand - or I should say, on head - he walked out of the building.

He was greeted with the most deafening noise he had ever heard. The roar of the crowd almost reminded him of a pokemon battle. And immediately after his ears went into a sensory overload, he was blinded. A million cameras went off at once, each with a blinding flash.

"Erm..." Ash tried to squeeze his way through the media, but to no avail. He was bombarded with microphones, and a variety of questions and the occasional marriage proposal. Through the tremendous noise, he managed to make out:

"Ash, who's the lucky lady that you've decided to take out?"

"ASH! I LOVE YOU! MARRY ME!"

Or, Ash's favorite: "Will Pikachu be meeting that special someone tonight?"

As if on cue, one unlucky reporter, who thrust a microphone into Ash's face, accidentally hit Pikachu. The yellow mouse, who was already annoyed that he was getting all this attention yet no ketchup, decided to make his presence known.

"PIKACHUUUUUUUU!" he grunted, as he let out enough electricity to power a small town. He looked on contently as everyone fell to the ground. "Chaaa..." he purred in approval.

"No... comment..." Ash managed to croak out as he fell to the ground, shocked (literally!).

For fear of another thunder shock, the reporters and mass of screaming girls finally subsided. Ash carefully made his way to the limo that awaited him (why hadn't they parked in front of the building, he wondered), and slammed the door shut. There he saw Kristina, waiting impatiently.

"You weren't kidding when you said that you told the media, were you?" Ash asked.

"Chaaa!" Pikachu agreed.

"Hey, it's my job," Kristina answered. "And it worked! Did you see how many reporters there were?" Her eyes gleamed. "And it looks like you've got the majority of your lady fans back..." She gave Ash a sly wink and a nudge. She looked Ash up and down. "Nice clothes. I approve."

Ash looked down at what he was wearing - a black suit with a white dress shirt that had the top button unbuttoned and no tie. It was formal - in that casual kind of way. "Yeah, I guess I did fix myself up a little." He flashed Kristina a boyish smile.

"A little?! How long did it take you to do your hair?!" She stared at his head. The usually tangled mess of her was... well, it was still messy. But Kristina noticed a difference - it was still spiky and black, but Ash had actually put some EFFORT into his hairdo. It looked nice.

"Jezacupplomins..." Ash mumbled.

Enjoying Ash's discomfort, Kristina grinned. "Whatcha say, Ashy?"

"Pikapika..." Pikachu chortled at his master's uneasiness. And also because he DID know how long it took for Ash to do his hair - roughly the whole afternoon.

"Just a couple of minutes..." Ash mumbled again, turning an unusual shade of red.

"Aww," Kristina cooed, as she wiped an imaginary tear from her eye. "They all grow up so fast." She laughed. "Lighten up Ash. It's supposed to be your big night! Just think of all the publicity we're - er, I mean, you're - gonna get!" Her eyes shimmered with excitement.

Ash rolled his eyes, and ran his fingers through his hair. "Yeah. Sure." A thought struck him, and he perked up. "What was for dinner again?"

"The best food money can buy! The Seaking Café guarantees the best."

"Oh. So they'll have cheeseburgers?" Ash asked hopefully.

Kristina face faulted.

* * *

As Misty strolled along the Cerulean City coastline, she couldn't help but notice the growing crowd of reporters that were gathering around the city's new restaurant - the Seaking Café. Blaming it on the grand opening of the restaurant, she decided to ignore it. But she would have to past the restaurant on her way back to the gym - which doubled as her home.

"_Might as well beat the rush..._" she thought. _"Well, I guess I could just take the path BEHIND the restaurant. That way I'd avoid the reporters._" With her mind made up, she made her way to the road leading to the back of the restaurant.

* * *

"We're here, Ash!" Kristina exclaimed excitedly.

"Any last minute pointers?" Ash asked hopefully. "I don't have the best of luck when it comes to girls."

Kristina thought for a while. "Just be yourself - no girl will be able to resist that." She laughed playfully and reached into her pocket. "And just in case you're tired of all the reporters, take these." She handed over two pairs of ear plugs - a pair that were regular sized, and a pair that were shaped like triangles - obviously for Pikachu.

Ash rolled his eyes and shrugged. "Thanks. I think." He put them on, took a deep breath, and placed his hand on the limo door. "Here it goes..."

He stepped out of the car and was once again greeted by another deafening crowd. But this time, thanks to his earplugs, it just sounded like a pleasant hum.

"Pika!" Pikachu obviously appreciated the earplugs as much as Ash did. He darted ahead, and made his way into the building easily.

Luckily for Ash, this time the league had stationed security around the restaurant. He made his way comfortably to the doors of the restaurant, when suddenly he heard a commotion to his left.

"NOW!" he heard a collection of high-pitched screams that pierced his ears - even with the earplugs. Taking the plugs out of his ears - just in case - he turned his head to see what was going on.

A group of fanatic girls started to push, and broke the security line. Ash watched helplessly as they stampeded towards him. "Uh oh..." He started running.

Making his way behind the building, he ducked into an alleyway to catch his breath. He watched triumphantly as he saw the group of girls - which had grown to about 100 or so - pass by, screaming their heads off.

When he thought it was safe, he stepped outside of the alleyway. "Where am I?" he asked himself. He had never been good with directions. He surveyed his surroundings. "OK, there's a couple of dumpsters over there... there's the "ocean view" that they advertised... a couple of parking spots... I must be behind the building." He looked around proudly. Suddenly he saw a site that made his heart stop.

"THERE HE IS!!!" The crowd of girls had turned around and caught site of Ash. But this time, he was ready. He dashed off to the side road behind the restaurant and ran as fast as he could.

Looking behind him seeing - and hearing - nothing, he slowed down. Not watching where he was going, he felt himself run into someone, and they both fell to the ground.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" A voice said angrily.

Ash got up, brushed himself off, and looked at the what he had ran into.

When he saw her, his breath caught in his throat. She was cute - she had red hair that fell to just about below her shoulders, and intense blue eyes that were staring at Ash angrily.

"Well?" She asked. "Aren't you gonna help me up?"

"Err, sorry," Ash managed, as he held out his hand. She grabbed it, and Ash felt a weird sensation as they touched. Not paying attention, he pulled her up too far, and when she got up their faces were only inches apart. He stared into her deep blue eyes, and noticed their unusual color - the bright blue of the ocean on a sunny day.

Misty couldn't help but stare back at Ash. Where had she seen him before? He looked kind of familiar... was he a celebrity or something? She couldn't help but notice that he was really handsome - he had a cute innocent look on his face, and messy spiky black hair.

They stared at each other for a while, until Misty finally said something.

"I, um... I have to get going." She blushed.

"OK." Ash stated simply. _Say something! Anything!_ his mind screamed. "Um... it was nice running into you!" He blurted out. As soon as he said it, he winced. That was so lame!

Misty laughed, a melodic laughter that made Ash grin in spite of himself. "Yeah," Misty agreed. "Definitely." And with that, she was on her way.

Ash stood there in a daze with a goofy smile on his face, not even noticing she had left. "Bye..."

"Oh wait!" Ash suddenly remembered. "What was her name?" Disappointed, yet goofily blissful at the same time, he walked back to the restaurant.

* * *

Dinner so far had been a complete bust - they hadn't even had cheeseburgers. Ash had been set up with an obnoxious girl named Giselle. All she talked about was herself. During dessert, Ash swirled his straw in his drink as he listened to her talk.

"So of course, they were just jealous of me," Giselle droned on. "I mean, who wouldn't want to be like me? I'm beautiful, smart, talented..." she looked across the table at Ash, to see if he was paying attention. "Don't you think?"

"Of course..." Ash said absentmindedly. Why couldn't she be more like that redheaded girl? He swirled his straw again.

"See, I knew I was right!" Giselle gave him a very fake - and obnoxious - laugh. "I mean, you can see I'm pretty, but did you know that I also have amazing training skills?" She looked disdainfully at Pikachu, who was inhaling ketchup by the bottle.

Ash perked up. Pokemon? This was a subject he could talk about. "What kind of pokemon do you have?" he asked. "I have a Pikachu, as you can see... and I also have -"

Giselle groaned. "Enough about you, let's talk about me! Well, I have a Cubone, who can beat that Pikcahu any day..."

Ash banged his head on the table. He tuned the rest of Giselle's words out by listening to the soothing slurp of ketchup courtesy of Pikachu.

* * *

When dinner was over, Ash warily gave Giselle a small hug. "Tonight was... umm..." he struggled to find the right word. He couldn't, so he just settled for lying. "Tonight was fun."

"Oh, I dunno," Giselle yawned. "You're kind of boring. All you wanted to do was talk about yourself! I mean, telling me about you Pikachu... honestly!" She gave him a sympathetic look, and tried to say the next few words so they wouldn't hurt him: "I don't think this is going to work out."

Ash faked disappointment for Giselle's sake. "I understand." And with that, he left.

* * *

When Ash left the Seaking Café, he was once again deafened by the noise. He had already gotten used to it, so he walked quickly to his limo.

But when Giselle exited the restaurant, the crowd's disposition changed. She was greeted with a loud booing noise.

"There she is, girls!" Giselle heard one girl say. "That's the girl that's trying to steal our Ash away!" From the same section of the crowd the booing intensified, and Giselle saw a tomato whiz by inches from her face.

But Giselle wasn't phased. "You're just jealous that you're not as pretty as me," she stated simply, glancing at the girl. And with her head raised high in the air, she walked to her car.

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**A/N**: Again, I apologize for how long it took to get this one out... usually, I'm better about updating! Like I said, the ending for this chapter gave me a lot of trouble, so I hope it's good enough... This fic is getting more and more fun to write! I know exactly what I want the next part to be like, so hopefully it will be out soon... but for now, please review. Thanks! Oh, and if anyone has any suggestions for a new title, can you tell me? I'm not really feeling "Blinded" right now, so any suggestions are welcome! Until next time, see ya!


	3. Chapter Three

**A/N: **Wow, thanks to everyone who reviewed. You make me feel all warm inside! Sike, haha, just kidding. But really, reviews are good encouragement!

All disclaimers can be found on part one.

**Edit:** I just changed a small thing... thanks to Ri2 for pointing that out to me! I didn't even notice. Thanks! (And I did that map thing on purpose - haha, I thought it would be funny!)

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Blinded - Chapter Three

* * *

"I have to find her again, Pikachu!" Ash said, forcefully slamming his fist on the table. His eyes glassed over. "She had the most gorgeous blue eyes... and she was beautiful... pretty... cute... beautiful..."

"Pikapi, cha pikachu!" was the pokemon's response.

"Yeah, I know, I used 'beautiful' already. I just ran out of words."

Pikachu swatted at the air lazily. "Pikachu, chapika pikapi?"

"What am I gonna do? Good question." Ash put a finger to his mouth, thinking. "Well, I dunno yet. Maybe I should ask Kristina for help? If you think about it, if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have met this girl!" His eyes glazed over again, as a picture of the mysterious red head entered his mind. "She was so pretty... cute... beautiful... pretty..."

Pikachu just rolled his eyes. Trainers. You can't live with them and... well, you just can't live with them.

* * *

Where had she seen him before? His face looked so familiar... but if they had met before, she was SURE she would remember him. Who wouldn't? She sighed dreamily as she thought of him.

"Like, Miiiisty!!!" A high pitched voice sang sweetly through the calm Cerulean air. The voice changed to a throaty bark. "COME HERE!" A few spearows rustled, eyeing the Cerulean gym warily. They settled back into their trees. Obviously, the voice was NOT a force to be reckoned with.

Misty sighed. Not again. She didn't mind looking after her sisters, but she never understood why three fully grown girls couldn't handle things themselves. Granted, put together, they had the brain capacity of about a psyduck... but that's what teamwork is for, right? Misty laughed. If they put their heads together, they were bound to come up with something smart. But, then again, Misty always thought that they were smarter than they acted. But him, he definitely looked smart - like he could take care of himself. Like if they were lost in a forest, he would know how to read the map and get them out safely. Like he would be able to -

"MISTY!" the voice whined, interrupting Misty's train of thought. "Hurry up!"

Sighing again, she made her way downstairs to where the voice was coming from. Not even her sisters could spoil her day. "What can I do for you?" she asked cheerfully.

Her three sisters eyed her carefully. They looked at each other knowingly, then looked at Misty with smug, superior smiles.

"What?"

"Like, who is he?!" Daisy squealed.

"Who is who?"

"The guy you're like, in love with?!" Daisy prodded.

Misty's voice caught in her throat. Yup, they were definitely smarter than they acted...

"Ohh, you're gonna be in like, so much trouble!" Violet let out an excited, high pitched squeal. This seemed to trigger Misty's other sisters, who joined the squealing.

Misty just snorted. "Why do you say that?" She tried to act nonchalant, but a slow creeping feeling started up her spine. Like she was forgetting something. Something important...

"Like, what about Gary?" They squealed again.

"_Oh yeah. Oops..._" Misty thought to herself. She let out an inaudible gasp, her voice catching in her throat so that she could hardly breathe. How could she have forgotten? She already HAD a boyfriend! She quickly tried to fix the situation. "Why would I be in trouble? I don't like anybody!"

Daisy frowned. "Like, are you lying?"

Misty gave them a fake laugh. "Positive."

"Posi..." Daisy trailed off, looking at her sisters for help. They just shrugged.

Misty sighed. "I'm sure."

Daisy shrugged as the three sisters left. "Girls, like, I think our radar is like... off!" The girls gasped dramatically, and giggled as they walked out of the door.

* * *

"Kristina, I met the girl of my dreams..." Ash said stupidly, his eyes glazed over and mouth open. 

Kristina eyed him in delight. "Oh, so you liked Giselle?! I knew SOMEONE had to..."

"She was so beautiful..." Ash wasn't listening.

"It looks like last night worked for BOTH of us then!" Kristina exclaimed. She motioned to the stack of papers in front of her. "Look at all these people that wanna interview you!" She laughed, her eyes gleaming.

"...and pretty..."

"And all because of one little blind date," Kristina cooed to herself happily.

"...and she had the most intense blue eyes..."

"I'm a genius!" She beamed, talking to herself. "I'm good at what I do." Kristina turned her attention to Ash, who she found drooling across the room. "Don't you think?"

"...but I didn't catch her name..."

Kristina eyed him quizzically, but was too happy to care that he wasn't making sense. She chuckled. "Funny, Ash, I thought I introduced you two last night?" She shook her head. "By the way, I forgot to mention, your resignation ceremony for the league was scheduled for tonight. But I talked to the league, and after last night, you're popularity has skyrocketed! They just changed the ceremony to a dance, in celebration of you."

"...and she had amazing hair..."

Kristina grinned at Ash, who was still drooling. "Ahh, young love... I'll tell you what - since you've been so cooperative with me, I'll try to invite your special lady to the ceremony tonight." She winked at him. "Better get started on your hair now, or else you won't be ready in time!" She left the room, still smiling. "I thought no one would ever go for Giselle," she muttered to herself. "I guess I was wrong. Whatever floats your boat, I guess..."

Ash, who hadn't been listening to the conversation, smiled. Tonight would be perfect. He would see that beautiful redhead again, find out her name, and live happily ever after.

Or so he thought.

* * *

"I usually don't like going to these league gatherings..." Gary said, bored. "They're just for losers. But my grandfather's making me go." He put his arm around Misty. "But since you're coming with me, I figure I won't be THAT bored." He gave her a sly look. 

Misty smiled uncomfortably at her boyfriend. He treated her well, but ever since her encounter with that mysterious guy from last night, it just felt... wrong. Sure, she still liked Gary, but now she was wondering whether if she _loved_ him. Or if she ever _would_. Although she was just with that other guy for a couple of seconds, the feelings she felt when she with him were intense. When he had pulled her up last night, when she was in his arms, everything just felt good. Everything felt right.

"What's wrong, Misty?" Gary asked.

She smiled at him. "Nothing." She tried to change the subject. "But tonight sounds fun!"

Gary smirked. "Hopefully it will be. I'm glad you're coming, or else I would be stuck in a room with a bunch of geeks from the league. And the biggest loser of all - Ash Ketchum." He cleared his throat. "He thinks he's so good. Just because he beat me once." Gary seemed to get lost in his memory. "And it was a lucky shot. A fluke..." He cleared his throat again. "And for some reason, my grandfather thinks we're still friends. But that was a loooong time ago. Now he's nothing more than a big nobody..."

Misty laughed. "Isn't Ash Ketchum like... the pokemon master?" Misty never followed the pokemon master and league matters. As gym leaders, that was her sisters' job. But the name sounded familiar. She just couldn't match a face to the name...

Gary snorted. "Yeah, the pokemon _master,_" he retorted, spitting out the last word. "But I figure we can just make an appearance, and then leave King Loser and his followers in the dust."

Misty shrugged. "Sounds good to me."

* * *

Ash was nervous. It was the big night. But it still felt weird - he was about to make a speech thanking everyone for coming to his celebration, but he knew that everyone that attended to the ceremony would have also came to see him resign. It was times like these when he wondered who really liked him, and who just liked him because he was, well, famous. 

He didn't really have a speech planned, because it was such short notice. So he decided to just wing it.

From the other side of the stage, he heard muffled applause. "And now, the man of the hour, Ash Ketchum!"

The applause grew as he stepped onto the stage. Taking a deep breath, he looked out into the sea of tuxedos and dresses for any familiar faces. He didn't see any. Across the stage, he saw Professor Oak, the M.C., smiling and motioning him to the microphone. At the "table of honor" where his seat was located, he saw his mother, and - he shuddered - Giselle.

The microphone squeaked as he adjusted it, taking his place at the podium. "Um... first, I would like to thank everyone for coming." He took a deep breath. "My career as a pokemon trainer has definitely had it's ups and downs, and I thank all of you for sticking with me."

Ash's eyes swept across the room, looking through the crowd. He sounded fake, and he knew it. But the crowd smiled at him approvingly. He saw the two big double doors at the back of the room start to open.

"When I think about the bad times," - as if on cue, Gary entered the room with his usual smirk - "I remember all the people supporting me and all the good memories and friends I've made."  
  
The door opened again, revealing Gary's date - a redheaded young teen. When Ash saw her, he was at a loss of words.

"And, the... um... those memories are..." his eyes followed Misty, looking for the right word. "Those memories are beautiful." At a loss for words, Ash left the podium, making his way to his special table. Unhappily, he took a seat next to Giselle, who was practically throwing herself at him now that he was "famous" again.

"Ash, I knew we'd meet again!" Giselle leaned his direction, and started playing with his hair. She got closer, whispering in his ear. "I knew we'd work things out. I don't know why you had to be so stubborn. I mean, who could resist me?"

Ash sighed. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

"He is such a loser..." Gary muttered. "Just look at him..." 

Misty was at a loss for words. They had came late, and she was embarrassed as she entered the two big double doors that led to the ballroom. She has kept hey eyes away from the front of the room, trying to make herself unnoticeable as she entered. But now that she saw who was in sitting at the head table, she felt her heart leap into her throat. She stared at Ash, whose hair was being played with by the girl sitting next to him. She felt a pang of jealousy and gave Gary a weak laugh. "Yeah. Big... loser."

Gary perked up with the sound of someone putting down his rival. He was struck with an idea. "Would you like to... err... dance?"

Misty hadn't even noticed the music. But she happily accepted, partly jealous of Ash's new found friend. He led her to the dance floor, where, unfortunately for Misty, Ash was dancing with Giselle. Giselle was practically leaning over Ash, with her head on his shoulder and her arms tightly wound around him. Ash looked very uptight and uncomfortable, like he didn't know what to do. His eyes caught Misty's as she started to dance, staring back.

Their eyes locked, as a slow ballad started to play. The strings harmonized, the piano melody tinkled in the background, and a lone flute held a high quivering note in the background. The flow of the music started to change, rising and falling with their breaths. And their eyes stayed lock.

They both swayed with their respective partners, now knowing, not caring, who they were dancing with. Each imagined holding the other in their arms - and that was all they needed.

Unfortunately, they both had to turn - Misty was being led by Gary, and Ash, not being a good leader, decided to turn so that he wouldn't have to see Gary. He stepped on Giselle's feet, but she pretended not to notice. Gary and Giselle's eyes met, but they brushed each other off. Giselle looked like "a loser," and Gary looked like he would be "too into himself."

The song ended, and Misty reluctantly returned to her seat at the table. She watched jealously as Ash and Giselle swayed and turned to the music. It was a weird feeling - she liked Gary, but she felt something _different_ when she was with Ash.

"Misty, come outside with me for a little." Gary's voice was soft, interrupting Misty's thoughts.

"Sure." They walked out to the balcony, which overlooked the twinkling city line. They sky was dark, with no stars. The only light came from the cityscape in the distance.

Gary turned Misty so that they were facing each other. "Misty, listen. I'm really glad that you decided to come. Actually, I'm really glad that you gave me a chance." Gary looked down, embarrassed. He started mumbling. "I know... well, I know that I'm not the nicest guy, and I'm glad that you gave me a change to be your boyfriend."

This was a side of Gary that Misty had never seen before. She was used to the snide, sarcastic exterior that Gary always put up. She always knew that there was a softer side to him, and it touched her heart to see that she has a part in bringing it out. For a second, she almost forgot about Ash. Almost.

She smiled at him. "No problem."

Gary took another deep breath and laughed at himself. "I know I sound like a sappy loser, but it was just something I had to say. I've been trying hard to be good for you." He flashed Misty a smile, and she suddenly remembered why she decided to go out with him in the first place.

Misty smiled at him. "I think I should be thanking you! That was sweet, Gary."

An awkward silence followed. That was the weird thing with Gary - one moment, they were having a good time, and the next, it was really weird.

"I'm going inside to get a drink," Misty said. "Do you want anything?"

"Sure," Gary replied. "And not too much ice, please." Misty just rolled her eyes.

Making her way inside, she found the punch bowl and poured herself a glass. Suddenly, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around. "Yes?" Her eyes fell on Ash, and she got the weird feeling again - kind of like a queasy feeling in her stomach. But it was a good queasy.

Ash was obviously just as flustered. "Do you... umm... would you like to..." he sucked in a deep breath, and smiled. "May I have this dance?" He held out his hand.

Misty laughed. "Sure, why not?" She took his hand.

They twirled toward the dance floor, and they danced like experts. Their movements were graceful, and elegant, even Ash's. But halfway through the song, Misty saw Gary standing by the doors. His eyes were cast in their direction.

Remembering their conversation outside, Misty felt a pang of guilt. She turned again, and saw Giselle, pouting at her from the side of the dance floor.

Her eyes traveled back to Gary. "_I'm hurting the people I like..._" Her eyes found Giselle again as she twirled. "_And I'm making people mad..._" The guilt was killing her. It seemed like she was doing everything wrong. Gary looked depressed, and Giselle looked angry. And Ash, he looked like he would be happier with Giselle than he would be with her... She knew what she had to do to make everyone happy. Except herself.

With watery eyes, she gathered her strength, and took a deep breath. She lay her head on Ash's shoulder for a second, and held herself against him, enjoying the moment. Then, she broke her grip with him.

With a lone tear rolling down her cheek, she gathered all her strength and slapped Ash in the face. The slap echoed and reverberated throughout the room. The music stopped abruptly.

Ash looked at her in shock. But Misty, who was holding back tears, turned on him.

Glancing at Gary across the room, her voice trembled as she addressed Ash. "I don't want to dance with you any more."

Ash rubbed his face. The slap didn't hurt. On the outside, anyway. "What did I do?"

Misty laughed. It was a cold noise that came from deep within her throat. She was surprised by the coldness in her own voice. "I don't even like you. I felt sorry for you, so I danced with you. But now I realize that you don't..." she choked up. "You don't deserve me."

Ash stood there, shocked. This couldn't be the same girl from the restaurant. "Wha... what?"

Misty continued to hold back tears. "I... don't want to see you." She forced herself to spit out her last two words: "Ever again."

She let her tears fall freely now. Crying, she ran into the arms of Gary, who was glaring at Ash like it was his fault. Ash was left in the middle of the dance floor, rubbing his face and wondering what he did wrong.

_**To be continued...**_

**

* * *

A/N:** So there's the third part. It took me a little longer than I expected, sorry! It was a little longer than usual, too... haha, it's my way to make up for the wait. I hope it was worth the wait! It was kinda cheesy and sappy, which I apologize for. Plus, I know the ending was a bad place to leave off! But I needed it to set the mood... hopefully it worked. And sorry if Gary was a tad bit out of character - I needed someone for the part, and I decided hey, why not Gary? The fourth installment is coming soon... see ya then! But while you're waiting, why not check out my other fic, "Crash and Burn"? Sorry, had to advertise! Anyway, please r&r if you have the time... thanks! 


	4. Chapter Four

**A/N:** Woah, things are just rolling along now! As always, thanks to those of you who reviewed. You're great. :-P. I know I left the last chapter at one of the WORST possible places, so to make up for it, I've decided to try to get this one out a little faster. Plus, I still feel guilty that it took me forever to upload chapter three. I hope you enjoy!

And just in case you didn't read the edited version of the last chapter, a special shout out goes to Ri2, who pointed out a mistake I made. Gah, I guess I should be more careful! Thanks Ri2! And while I'm at it, thanks to Chibi-Suiko for a great idea for a title - "By Chance." And one of my friends also gave me the suggestion "At First Sight." I dunno which one to choose, they're both great. Any suggestions?

And by the sound of it (from the reviewers), I didn't really explain much WHY Misty did that in the last chapter! But don't worry - everything will be explained (hopefully!) in this chapter.

All disclaimers can be found on part one.

* * *

Blinded - Chapter Four

* * *

"Ash, just come out and talk!" Kristina forced herself not to break down the door to the room Ash had barricaded himself in.

Ash was silent. Maybe she would think no one was home.

"Ash, I know you're in there! I followed you from the party, remember?"

Oh yeah. Never mind then. Ash cracked the door open. "What?"

Kristina held out her hands up as a peace offering. "I just wanna help."

Ash held the door open a little more, and Kristina walked in. "What exactly happened tonight, Ash? I leave for a couple of minutes to deal with reporters, and when I come back, you're gone! And everyone's saying something different about what happened." She thought for a while. "Not very good publicity, I might add." 

Ash just shrugged. He didn't want to think about it - it just made him wonder. What did he do wrong? Was it something he said? Something he did? Or maybe it was just him...

"She... never wants to see me. Ever again," Ash managed to mumble. He wasn't used to these kind of weird feelings - sure, you had to be strong to be a pokemon master. If you got lost, (which he did a lot), you couldn't just sit there and cry. You had to suck it up and find your way. But this was totally different - he didn't know that girls could be so... weird. And that they could make you feel so bad.

Kristina was almost heartbroken for Ash's sake. "Well. I'll see what I can do about it."

Ash just slumped over at his desk as a response. "Do what you want..." he muttered. "She'll never want to be with me..."

Kristina shook her head at the depressed trainer in front of her. Deciding that he needed his alone time, she quietly exited the room. Before she left, she cocked her head in Ash's direction. "After I'm done, Ashy baby, she won't be able to resist you. I'll do my best." Giving him an encouraging smile, she left the room.

From his position slumped at the table, Ash perked up a little bit. Kristina had never failed before - when she set her mind on something, it happened. But, then again, the girl from the other night - whatever her name was - had sounded so mean. Cruel.

From the mess of thoughts and worries that now swirled around his head, he suddenly realized - that for the second time, he had forgotten to ask her what her name was. He banged his head on the desk. Maybe, next time, he would remember. That is, assuming there was a next time.

* * *

"Like, Misty, what's wrong?"

Misty peered up from under her covers to see her three sisters looking down worriedly at her. She felt absolutely horrible - on a scale from one to ten, she was feeling about as good as a negative number. She had never done anything to hurt anybody as bad as she hurt Ash. And to top it all off, they hardly knew each other! The worst part was that she still remembered his expression - the hurt, confused stare that looked at her through his watery eyes. It was like it was burned into her memory.

"Like, are you crying?" Daisy asked, the concern evident in her voice. "What happened?"

Misty gave her sister a feeble smile. Sure, she and her sisters had their disagreements. But there was no denying it - they genuinely loved each other. "It's nothing."

The three sisters looked at each other, unconvinced. Something was going on, and they were determined to get to the bottom of it. Suddenly, Lily had an enlightening moment - a once in a life time thing.

"Like, oh my gosh. It's about a guy, isn't it?"

Misty was just silent.

Lily looked to her counterparts knowingly. "We may not, like, know anything about anything else, but when it comes to boys, you like, can't beat us. Spill."

Before Misty could stop herself, last night's events came spilling out of her mouth. "You were right this morning - I met a guy." In a way, she felt kind of relieved - she really needed someone to talk to.

The three sisters perked up. Misty could tell that they each wanted to let out a high pitch scream, but they contained themselves. "...And?" they prodded, leaning in closer.

"Well, it turns out it was Ash Ketchum." Misty looked at the shocked - yet excited - expression on her sisters' faces. "Yes, THE Ash Ketchum. We met a couple of nights ago by the new restaurant. And when we were together, everything just seemed to... I dunno, just fall into place."

"Aww..." the three sister cooed in unison.

"But when I went to the League Ball last night with Gary, I saw him there. It was weird - there I was, with Gary, but wanting to be with Ash. Gary was acting so sweet, it made me feel guilty about wanting to be with Ash. And then there was this other girl - her and Ash seemed like they really liked each other. She was practically throwing herself on him!"

The three sisters nodded knowingly. They understood perfectly. Misty smiled. It was true - that on matters concerning boys, you couldn't beat them.

"Then, when I was dancing with Ash, it was nice. But then I saw Gary - the look in his eyes almost killed me. I felt so guilty. He had just told me how happy he was that we were together, and there I was - dancing with his rival." She looked down, trying to forget. "And then I saw Giselle, looking at me like she wanted to kill me. I don't know, it just felt like all eyes were on me - and that I was hurting everybody."

"Like, so what if you got all that attention?" Lily snorted. "And like, if you don't want Ash, then I'll take him."

Misty took in a deep breath. "Well, I just started to feel really guilty. So, I did the only thing that would make everyone happy." She winced, reliving the moment. "I told Ash that I never wanted to see him again." Her voice quivered. "Gary would be happy, Giselle would be happy, and..." she choked up. "And Ash would be happy with her. Everybody wins." She flashed them a rueful smile.

"You're, like, forgetting someone," Violet said, a smile on her face.

"Who?"

"You," Violet pointed out. "You have to learn to, like... not try to please everybody. It's like, not possible. You've got to do something for yourself every once in a while. Like, you deserve it."

Misty smiled. "Thanks guys. You're, like, the best." She laughed. "Ugh, I'm starting to sound like you!"

"Well, like, once you start looking like us, then you'll be perfect." With a joking laugh, her sisters left.

Misty smiled. She felt relieved. She had all this emotional tension and stress floating around in her head, and it felt good to just let it all out. Now, she realized how dumb she had been. Ash and her could still be friends, right?

With new found resolve, she decided what she would do. The first thing tomorrow, she would find Ash and apologize. She didn't know how she would, but she would find him somehow - even if it lead her to the ends of the earth.

Wait. Scratch that. SECOND thing tomorrow, she would find Ash. She had already promised Gary that she would go with him to the city to buy a new fangled poke-something-or-other.

Misty frowned. Now that she thought about it, more and more, she was finding herself annoyed with Gary. His sarcastic comments, offhanded remarks, the "I'm better than you" attitude - they all seemed to outweigh the good memories she had of him. And now, his lack of compassion for people. He even had the nerve to congratulated he on what she did last night! She shook her head. She needed to have a serious talk with him, soon. Things just didn't seem to be working out.

* * *

He was back. Back where it all began - The Seaking Café. Gazing sadly at the ocean, Ash tried to remember how they met. His memory was fuzzy. He could hardly recall anything about that night - except for her. And that was all that really mattered, anyway.

He could still almost hear her laugh. It seemed so real. Wait. It WAS real!

Ash blinked. Was the sun playing tricks on his eyes? There she was! But the feelings of despair and semi-anger came flooding back to him when she saw who she was with - Gary. Not wanting a confrontation, he quickly ducked into the alleyway behind the restaurant.

Misty and Gary walked slowly past the alley. Ash held his breath.

Misty sighed - how would she find Ash? Everywhere she went, she was hopeful. Maybe they would meet! But it was like fate was fooling with her emotions.

Even the shadows were playing tricks on her - passing the alleyway, she thought she saw him. But it ended up just being a trashcan. A trashcan with a shadow that made it look like it was growing spiky black hair.

Wait a minute. That shadow looked weirdly familiar...

"I'll catch up with you later, Gary," Misty called as she slowed down her steps.

"Whatever," his voice sailed from around the corner. "But hurry up, I have to get the new prototype model..."

Misty peered into the dim alleyway. "Ash?" she squinted. "Is that you?" She walked closer, trying to get a better look.

Ash sighed. From the shadows, he had thought that he was perfectly hidden. But he wasn't. He stepped out into the warm sunlight, moving carefully towards Misty.

"I thought you never wanted to see me again."

Misty felt a stab of guilt in her chest. "No, Ash..."

Ash snorted. "Well, I guess the third time's the charm, right? This IS the only the third time we've met, right?"

"Yeah, but the other night-"

"I think I understood you perfectly the other night."

"Ash!" Misty was getting frustrated with his lack of attention. "Will you just LISTEN to me?!"

"..." Ash was silent. "Fine. I'm listening."

Suddenly, they heard footsteps. A voice that sounded like Gary's came from around the corner. "Where are you?"

Misty hastily pushed herself into Ash, forcing them both into a corner of the alley. From the dim light, Ash saw Misty put a finger to her lips, signaling him to be quiet. As Gary rounded the corner, she pushed herself into him tighter, trying to hide.

Ash felt his cold demeanor start to melt. How could he stay mad at her? When she was there in his arms, he could feel all his anger and worries slip away. He rested his cheek on her soft, red hair, and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. If she could have seen him, she would have seen a goofy smile start to appear on his face. But, fortunately for Ash's sake, she couldn't.

"I can't talk to you now, Gary's looking for me," she whispered. "But meet me here tonight, at 8:00. I promise I'll explain everything then and there." She flashed him a big smile. Then, as an afterthought, she hit him on the head.

"Oww!" Ash yelped. "What was that for?!"

Misty grinned. "For not listening to me earlier."

Stepping out of the shadows, Misty gave him a quick smile, and trotted in the direction that Gary was headed. "I'm right here, I just had to tie my shoe..."

Ash could almost scream with joy - but knowing that Misty and Gary were still only a few feet away, he forced himself not to. When they left, he leapt from the shadows and did a victory dance.

"YES! I am THE MAN!" He laughed happily, until he remembered - "Aw man! I still didn't get her name!" He face faulted, then groaned. "I guess the third time's NOT the charm!"

* * *

"I'm so good at what I do..." Kristina marveled at herself. She had called in a lot of favors to get this done, but she HAD to - she told Ash that she would do her best to get him back in the good graces of "the girl of his dreams." She had had doubts that she would be able to pull this off. But it would be worth it - after this, no girl would be able to stay mad at Ash, no matter what DID happen the other night.

* * *

Around an hour before the rendezvous time, Misty flipped on her TV. She was nervous - after her long day with Gary, the only thing she wanted to do was see Ash. Things with Gary were not working out.

Today, he had just been acting so strange. Like he didn't want to be there. Wait, that should be rephrased - like he didn't want to be there with HER. It was weird. Every once in a while, he would look around, or speed up, leaving Misty behind.

Misty frowned. Did he know about her little meeting with Ash that afternoon?

She really needed something to calm her nerves. She flipped through random channels, trying to find something to watch. Then, she saw it - a sight that made her smile. A picture of Ash. Probably some commercial or something for the League.

The narration started, and she frowned. What was this?

* * *

It was 8:15, and Ash had the jitters. He was back at the restaurant, like Misty had told him. He couldn't help it - he was pacing back and forth, and couldn't stay still. He had been there since 7:30, just to make sure that he wouldn't miss her.

Like a disastrous omen, the sky rumbled. Ash looked up. Although it was nighttime, he could clearly see gray clouds covering the moon and stars. The sky rumbled again, and Ash started to feel a light drizzle.

Where was she?

He would wait all night if he had to. Through rain, sleet, snow... he was no postman, but he would wait there no matter what. For her.

The sky thundered, and it started to rain. It began with a light drizzle, but grew quickly to a torrential downpour.

But he didn't care. He would wait.

* * *

At 9:00, soaked to the bone, but still as set as a rock, Ash received a phone call.

"H-h-he-hello?" His voice quivered, the effects of the cold rain starting to get to him.

"Ash? Where are you?" Kristina sounded concerned. "Do I hear rain? Ash, you're not outside, are you?!"

"I... g-g-gotta wait... for h-her..." Ash could hear his teeth chattering. It was so cold...

"Ash, it's like a hurricane outside! Get home. You don't need to worry about meeting her. I took care of everything. Just go home and turn on your TV."

Ash was silent. Kristina could tell that he doubted her. "Trust me, Ash." She thought for a while. "And I don't think she'll come out if it's raining - she won't risk the damage to her hair and make-up." She giggled..

Thoroughly drenched, Ash could still only think about her. "Sh-she doesn't w-wear make up. She doesn't n-need it. She's already b-beautiful."

Kristina laughed. "Whatever, Ash. This isn't the time for jokes. I took care of it. I promise."

That was enough for him.

* * *

Ash found the cozy - and more importantly, heated - atmosphere of his room a welcome change from the bone-chilling rain and wind. After taking a warm shower and drinking some hot chocolate, he plopped himself on the coach and flipped on the TV. He switched through the channels randomly. What exactly was he looking for?

Pickup up his phone, he dialed Kristina's number. "Why exactly did you tell me to turn on the TV?"

"Just watch."

Halfway through flipping between the news and the Mr. Mime network (don't ask!), he found it. A commercial.

He saw a picture of his face flash up, smiling at him from the TV. A voice - obviously Kristina's - started narrating.

"Ash Ketchum - pokemon master. He has everything he would ever want, right?"

Ash cocked his eyebrow in interest. He leaned in closer.

A buzzer sounded, and Kristina's voice continued on the screen . "Nope! There's one thing that Ash needs - and you know who you are. Ash is sprung over you."

Ash buried his head in his hands. This was sooo embarrassing. But he had to admit, Kristina did a good job. Girls ALWAYS went for this mushy kind of stuff.

Kristina's voice on TV laughed. "It would be ridiculous if you let him get away. Don't let him slip past you - you don't know what you're missing. Ash is a great guy. If you're out there listening, tune in tomorrow at 6:00 - Ash has a message for you. You're the girl of his dreams, Giselle."

Hold on. Rewind. Giselle?!

And then quickly, so fast that the words seemed to slur together: "This commercial sponsored by the friends of Ash Ketchum."

GISELLE?!

Ash could almost HEAR Kristina smiling from the other side of the phone. "So, what do you think?" She asked. "It's been playing all night on every channel. And I put out some ads in the newspaper. We're scheduled to tape your message to her tomorrow."

"You think that I like... no wait, LOVE..." - he braced himself - "Giselle?!"

"Hey, whatever floats your boat."

Ash shook his head. He couldn't do this anymore. He needed someone to help. He wasn't mad at Kristina - she was just trying to help. How many times had he tried to help someone, but only succeeded in making things worse? And plus, he couldn't be mad at her - he was too emotionally drained.

"Kristina... I wasn't talking about Giselle..." Ash felt defeated. It was like everything was against him.

"Phew," Kristina let out a sigh of relief. She laughed. "Well, that's a load off of my mind. I thought that you were - " she stopped mid-word, the realization dawning on her. "Oops. If you weren't talking about Giselle, then...?"

"It's a long story. Are you up to it?" Ash took a deep breath, and started his story. "It all happened a couple of nights ago..."

_You're the girl of his dreams, Giselle_. Ash rubbed his forehead. The words rang in his head. No wonder she hadn't come.

**

* * *

**

**A/N:** Oh no, another cliffhanger! (Kind of.) Remember in the last chapter when Ash told Kristina that he had met the girl of his dreams, and then zoned out? Kristina thought he was talking about Giselle! Anyone catch that?

The chapters are getting a little longer... I hope no one minds! They're still bearable though, I hope. Haha.

Fear not, for the next chapter will be coming soon! This fic is coming to a close, so the next part is going to be the second to last part (or last, depending if I can squeeze everything into it!) Or I may just cut the next one short, just for suspense. P Haha, jk. Just an estimate - my goal for the next chapter is sometime this weekend.

Don't forget to review if you have the time! Until next time, this is Spin, signing out!


	5. Chapter Five

**A/N:** Mwahaha, I hope everyone enjoyed the cliffhanger! (Just kidding!) Anyway, like always, thanks to EVERYONE who reviewed - it helps inspire me P. Haha, OK, most of you are probably skipping these author notes, 'cause you wanna get straight to the story, right? Enjoy!

And I know, I know, I said that this part would probably be out by the weekend... but that was just an estimate! Two days isn't THAT late, is it? I totally forgot that I had to take the SAT on Saturday, and then I had to work on my college applications and stuff... And then when I tried to upload it, the document manager for was down for updates! I hardly got any time to write/post. I hope this will do though.

While I was writing, I decided that I was gonna make this the last part. Haha, OK actually, I ran out of ideas and couldn't think of anything else - but I liked how it ended up turning out. Sorry for the shortness, though!

Special thanks goes to Chibi-Suiko, for helping me out on the title - it's now called "By Chance," and I think it's appropriate. Wonder why? Well, read on...

All disclaimers can be found on part one.

------------------------------------------------

Blinded - Chapter Five

------------------------------------------------

Ash told her everything - about the night at the restaurant, the League Ball, the alleyway... well, as much as he could remember, of course. His memory was fuzzy, and bits of his memories he couldn't (or didn't want to) remember.

Kristina had made no comments, which was unusual for her. But at the end of his story, she let out a dreamy sigh. "Aww, Ash, that is so sweet..."

Ash rolled his eyes - girls. They were so weird.

"Well, there's still time to fix this," Kristina said. Ash could almost hear the twinkle in her eyes.

"How?"

"Remember? You're scheduled to record a message to Giselle today. It's supposed to air all day."

"So what?" Ash was as dense as a block.

"So, you can record a message to your Cinderella, find her, and live happily ever after."

Somehow, Ash didn't think it would be that easy.

------------------------------------------------

They got to the TV studio in about 5 minutes. Ash's heart felt like it was pounding in his throat, and his leg jack hammered with nervousness.

Finally, a man entered the room, an air of importance surrounding him. He was obviously the director. A girl with an air of _self_ importance followed him. Ash gritted his teeth. Giselle was NOT what he needed right now.

"Clear the way," Giselle ordered, pushing the director out of the way. "Get out of my way - don't you know that I'm the reason that this whole thing is being put together?"

The crew of the commercial shoot stared at her blankly.

"I'm Giselle," she stated, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

The crew continued to stare. Obviously, they didn't know her - or perhaps, they didn't care.

From behind Giselle, Mr. Director Guy's voice boomed. "Places, everyone!" The crew scrambled to their designated spots. "Ash, are you all set?"

Ash could feel his heart pounding, the drumming steadily increasing in his ears. "Y-yeah... I'm ready."

"Rolling!" Mr. Director Guy barked. Then, in an exaggerated whisper: "and... action!"

Ash almost froze with nervousness. He cleared his throat, then glanced at the camera uneasily. He had been on television millions of times, posed for a countless number of photo shoots and magazines, and given numerous public speeches. But he had never been nervous until now - the one time it really mattered.

His eyes darted behind the camera, where Kristina was watching. He looked at her hopefully, silently asking her for advice. She smiled at him, and pointed to her chest. Speak from your heart. He took a deep breath.

"Um, hi," Ash said nervously, running his hands through his hair. "Everyone probably knows who I am. And you probably think I'm here to talk about Giselle... but I'm not." From across the room, Giselle flashed a catty smile. It looked like she had just swallowed a lemon. But this, like many things, didn't phase her for long.

"Like I said, everyone probably know who I am. But when I think about, I don't know any of you - my fans." He gave the camera another nervous smile. "I meet a lot of you every day, but I never take the time to get to know you. And yet, you all stick by me." He looked down, and muttered. "Well, except for the one person that matters right now..."

Straightening his head, he looked directly into the camera. "There's one person out there that I really want to meet. I don't know who you are... or even what you're like. But I do know one thing - I want to find out. I know you have red hair, and a laugh that makes me weak in the knees... but that's it. I want to get to know the rest of you. Meet me back where it all began - the beach behind the Seaking Café, tonight at 8:00. If you don't show, well..." his voice wavered. "Well, I'll get the hint. I... I just can't live with myself knowing that I didn't try."

The room was silent. The crew was staring at Ash with respectful awe. The director took off his earphones in astonishment. "...And... cut! Amazing..."

Now all Ash could do was wait. And hope.

------------------------------------------------

Misty had spent the majority of her night last night crying. Gary seemed like he didn't want to be with her anymore, Ash was in love with some other girl... what else could go wrong?

She definitely needed something to get her mind off things. And what else could be better then a little old TV?

She flipped through the channels. The news, Officer Jenny got a restraining order against some gym leader, Team Rocket attacked another town, Ash Ketchum staring nervously at the camera...

Ugh. Not this guy again. She got up, throwing the remote down on the couch. "Jerk..." she muttered, under her breath. She couldn't watch this. She needed someone to talk to. And since her sisters weren't home, the only choice would be Gary.

The Ash on TV started talking, but it was already too late. She had left.

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"Gary?" The door to his house was open, so she helped herself in. "Where are you?" She heard a muffled noise coming from around the corner.

THUD. Something fell over. What was going on here?

Cocking her eyebrow, Misty looked for anything that she could use for defense. She didn't find anything. She looked down, and took off her shoe.

"Who's there?!" she asked, raising the shoe above her head. "I'm warning you, I'm, umm... I'm armed!"

The only response was another bump.

Nervously, she sneaked down the hallway until she was in front of Gary's room. Everything was quiet.

"AIYEEEE!!!" She uttered a battle cry (which sounded more like a terrified scream), swung the door open, and assumed her fighting stance. She saw nothing.

She laughed at herself. She was just being paranoid. Relaxing, she dropped her hand back to her side.

Then, she heard another noise, coming from the closet. Shoe in hand, her arm instantly flew back up. "Who's there?"

Her curiosity getting the best of her, she cautiously walked to the closet and took a deep breath. Making sure she still had her shoe, she flung the door open - and was greeted by an unpleasant sight - two teens, who were... for the lack of a better word, making out.

"Err... hi, Misty-mphh!" Gary managed to say, before Giselle kissed him again.

Misty ignored him. Strangely, the first thing that came to her mind wasn't to be mad at Gary, but to be mad at Giselle! How could she do this to Ash?! She looked at Giselle coldly. "Aren't you dating Ash Ketchum?"

"Why have Ash when you can have Gary?" Giselle said, looking at Misty with distaste. "Gary knows how much I'm worth..." she laughed obnoxiously. "I'm so much prettier than you, you know..."

Misty chose to ignore this comment. "You mean... you and Ash aren't... a couple?"

Giselle snorted. "Of course not." She glanced at Gary. "That loser," she added as an afterthought. For this, she got an approving look from Gary. "I'd die if he even SAID he was interested in me." She shuddered.

"Well, Misty, we'd love to talk--" Gary piped up.

"--But we're busy." Giselle giggled, returning all of her attention back to Gary. ALL of her attention.

Misty looked at them with disgust. But she had more important things to think about. Her head swirled. Gary and Giselle? Ash wasn't in love with Giselle? A smile crept slowly onto her lips.

"I don't - mphh ... hey, Giselle, stop for a little." Giselle stopped, deciding to play with Gary's hair. "Misty, I don't think we're gonna work out."

Misty was so happy that she could almost kiss him. But she didn't - it looked like Giselle had that under control.

She needed time to think about what was going on. Shuddering again at Gary and Giselle, she left - on her way to her favorite spot to think.

------------------------------------------------

It was 7:57, and the back of the Seaking Café looked like it had been transformed into some bizarre meeting place for stars struck young girls. Obviously, Ash's commercial had worked. It looked like almost all the girls in Cerulean were here. Ash just hoped that the one that mattered was among the crowd too.

Two minutes.

Time was passing strangely - one moment he would look at his watch and realize the minutes were slooooowly ticking away, and the next, it seemed like the time just flew by.

One minute.

He tapped his foot on the sand nervously. He looked back into the sea of heads. Every flash of red hair, every twinkling laugh gave him hope. Was she out there? His heart pounded, his feet couldn't stay still. The high pitched screams didn't phase him anymore. If she was here, why wouldn't she just spare him the suspense?

8:00.

Ash took a deep breath. Where was she? The screaming of the crowd didn't stop. No one came forward. The doubt began to tug at him. But he wanted to wait.

The next ten minutes felt like an eternity. Every second killed Ash, and his eyes never left the crowd. Finally, Kristina placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Ash, I'm sorry..."

Ash turned around to face her. "You shouldn't be... it's not your fault." He smiled at her, his sad eyes getting watery. "I guess you can't lose what you never had, huh?"

He turned to leave. The crowd of girls behind him screamed louder than ever. And it looked like a riot was about to ensue...

Kristina sighed. Not again. "Ash, just go. I'll take care of this." He didn't move. "Hurry up!"

He trotted away until the screams of his adoring fans died down. Glancing back at them, he felt himself run into something.

He looked down and almost fainted. It was her. It was like the weight of the world had been lifted off of his shoulders. She was here!

Misty looked up at him, the surprise evident in her eyes. A smile crept on to her face. "Hey, aren't you gonna help me up?"

Laughing, she held up her hand, and Ash took it. He pulled her up into him and held her as tight as he could. She could have almost melted into him. It was like they were made for each other - their bodies fit together perfectly.

Ash could have stayed there all night, just holding her. It was worth everything - even meeting Giselle. But he still had one thing on his mind, one thing he was determined not to forget. "I've gotta know... what is you name?!"

Misty laughed, the one that always made Ash smile. She looked up into his chocolate brown eyes, and felt her face inching slowly closer to his. "Misty..."

"Misty, huh?" Ash's voice almost came out as a whisper. A playful grin tugged at the corners of his lips. "Nice to meet you." Their faces were only inches apart now. Ash could see every detail in Misty's perfect face - her crystal blue eyes, her cute button shaped nose, her soft lips... Well, speaking of that last one...

Finally, their lips met. The feeling was amazing - a slow, warm tingling that spread from their lips to the rest of their bodies.

"It's nice to meet you too." The two laughed again, not caring about anything else in the world, not noticing anything around them except each other.

Not even the familiar star that was smiling down above them - shining brighter than ever.

------------------------------------------------

**Epilogue**

"And the league reports are in!" A news announcer exclaimed excitedly. "Ash Ketchum's popularity ratings are in. After a brief scare, Ketchum, who held the record low popularity percentage, now holds the highest ratings in league history!"

Kristina smiled. She was very, _very_ happy with herself.

**The End**.

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**A/N:** Aww, so this is the end... it's a shame, I wish I could have made this one a little longer. I've gotten a bit attached to this fic, I'm almost sad to finish it. This is how I planned it to end up when I originally had the idea, but now that I reread it, I see how much else I could have done with this fic!

Well, except for one thing - when I had the idea, I told myself that I would write it as a comedy! But now that I reread, I think that it's more dramatic... eh. I hope no one minds!

Oh well, I hope everyone enjoyed it how it was... Onto my next project! Make sure to check it out! It's gonna be a VERY fluffy Ash and Misty romance (and I promise I'll try to make the next one funny. Haha.) If you see it floating around in a couple of days, check it out!

Again, thanks for all the support and reviews, they've encouraged me so much! Until next time, I'm out.


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